MY JORDAN JOURNAL STORIES OF ADVENTURE, CULTURE, AND FAITH IN JORDAN

Official Halftime Report of Andrew Walks Jordan

Sep 10, 2024 12:38:28 AM

Andrew Evans

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Officially past the halfway point on the Jordan Trail Thru-Hike, Andrew has shared with us many breathtaking photos and exciting and heartwarming tales of adventure. He has been documenting many of these through his blog, but Jordan Tourism Board North America would like to share with you some highlights of his trip so far.

riverside.pngAndrew’s First Day

Climbing higher, past chickpea fields and olive groves, we smelled the fragrant smoke of outdoor barbecues—whole families gathered round a fire, grilling kebabs on this weekend afternoon. An hour later, we all gathered around our own fire, grinning from the day’s good hike, sipping smoky cups of tea and basking in the afterglow of physical strain—rewarding our bodies with rest.”

 

fieldandflowers.pngJordan is a Land of Many Colors

“Every day the path turns greener, as if some divine hand has Photoshopped the landscape, dialing up the brightness to an implausible green that demands sunglasses and a long afternoon rest in the shade of a jujube tree. Already, we have enjoyed a few passing moments of rain and watched the land respond with life and a million rustling leaves. At times, the sky resembles a grey watercolor of swirling clouds—at other moments it glows empty and blue.”

hikinggroup.pngJordanian Hospitality

“One by one, small children descend from the upstairs balcony, surrounding us and welcoming us with shy smiles, leading us indoors and urging us to sit, relax, to have a drink and cool off. We are a massive group of hikers, and within minutes our dusty boots fill up the outer hallway. To plop down on a floor draped with carpets and lined with soft embroidered cushions feels like one of the greatest luxuries I have known. After a day’s hike, my happiness is bare feet and mint tea.”

sheep.pngThe Fruits of Labor

“Milking sheep is not the kind of craft you can just pick up and suddenly go pro. These Bedouin girls had been milking sheep for years, and I watched their deft hands get to the task where I had failed, filling up the foamy bucket and then releasing the patient sheep, who quickly ran away from us like kids released from school.”

 

puppy.pngExpect the Unexpected

‘A puppy!’ we cried, quickly scanning the area for any sign of a mama dog, but she was not there, and there were no other puppies around. The constant sound of a lost and lonely puppy howling out in pain was too heartbreaking, and though we had not even hiked our first mile that morning, I dropped to my knees, pulling the small and scrappy dog up into my chest.”

 

 Andrew has many miles left to travel, and we hope you are as excited as us to follow along for the second half of the Jordan Trail Thru-Hike. If you're not signed up to receive updates from Andrew, check out the Andrew Walks Jordan homepage! By signing up, you'll also be entered to win a FREE trip for two to Jordan with airfare included!

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Andrew Evans

Written by Andrew Evans

ANDREW EVANS is an author, travel writer, and TV host. Embracing all media, he shares his stories from around the globe on pixel and paper. Andrew has completed over 40 assignments for National Geographic, reporting live from all seven continents and over one hundred countries. He has broadcast from kayak, camelback, and helicopter—from atop arctic glaciers, the jungle, the middle of the ocean, and from inside King Tut’s tomb. He was the first person ever to live tweet his ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro and gained a worldwide following when he made his overland journey from National Geographic headquarters all the way to Antarctica, using public transportation. Andrew has written for National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, BBC Travel, Outside, Smithsonian, Readers Digest, The Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, and The Times (London). He is the author of five books, including two bestselling guidebooks, and the epic travel memoir The Black Penguin (University of Wisconsin Press 2017). In 2011, he delivered his TED Talk “Traveling with Uncertainty” in Budapest. Evans’ travels have been featured on The Early Show (CBS), Today Show (NBC), FOX, and the Travel Channel. He is a regular TV host for National Geographic, highlighting people and places around the world, including "The World in Two Cities", “World’s Smartest Cities”, and the new series, “Hidden Cities Revealed”. Andrew Evans holds degrees in Geography and Russian Foreign Policy from Oxford University. He lives in Washington, DC.




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